Packer



April 6, 1937. RT ROYE 2,075,912

PACKER Filed March 28, 1955' fin kLMw- I IT l RT .EQYE.

INVENTOR Z BY ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 6, 1937 PACKER Richard T. Roye,Houston, Tex., assignor to Gray Tool Company, Houston, Tex., acorporation Application March 28 1935, Serial No. 13,467

6 Claims.

This invention relates to packers for use in deep well operations. It isintended particularly for use in combination with a spear or pullingdevice such as is. ordinarily employed in removing' pipe from wells.

When a spear or other grappling tool is employed to engage within asection of broken off pipe so as to remove said pipe from the well, itis sometimes found that the piece of broken pipe is packed around withforeign material and mud so that it is difficult to detach the pipe soas to pull it from the well. It then becomes necessary to circulatewater or other liquid down through the broken ofi pipe so as to causethe fluid to issue from the lower end of said pipe and wash away thematerial lodging around it.

It is a main object of 'my invention to provide a packer attachment forspears of this character which make it possible to direct a stream offlushing fluid through the broken section of pipe and thus assist indislodging it from its position.

It is another object to provide a device of this character through whichfluid may be circulated while it is going into the well without anydamage to the tool, it being the principal object of the device to becapable of expansion to seal with the broken pipe or fish whencirculation through said pipe is desired.

It is an object of the invention to provide a '30 support for the lowerend of the packer which will protect the end thereof in both expandedand contracted positions.

In the drawing herewith, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a wellcasing and inner broken off section of pipe, my improved tool beingshown in elevation therein.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through the packer connectedwith my device.

In Fig. 1, I have shown a well casing as being in position in a well.Within the casing is a section of pipe 2, which is intended toillustrate a broken section of pipe which is to be removed from the wellby means of a fishing tool.

The fishing tool may be of any desired structure. I have shown anupwardly tapered mandrel 3 connected with a pipe 4, which is joined tothe drill stem 5 by means of which the tool is operated. Upon thetapered portion 3 of the mandrel is a sleeve 6, which is slottedupwardly from the lower end at 1, to a point closely adjacent the upperend, thus providing a series of downwardly extending resilient arms atthe lower ends of which are upwardly inclined teeth 8 to engage withinthe pipe section 2. This device is of simple and common construction. It

operates to engage the pipe on an upward pull upon the tool.

In order to seal between the mandrel or pipe 4, I provide a packer to beextended in advance of the spear. This packer is positioned closelybelow the spear and the construction of it is best seen in Fig. 2.

The lower end of the mandrel 4 is connected within a packer body 9,which comprises a tubular member with comparatively thick walls thereon,the lower end of which is formed with a head l0 forming a guide for thetool when it is introduced into the well. The passage ll' through thetool is partially closed at the lower end of the. head II] by tubularplug l2, which is also beveled to allow it to be more easily guided inits passage down into the well. It has a threaded connection within thehead and the passage l3 longitudinally of this plug is of comparativelysmall diameter.

On the outer surface of the mandrel above the head is a packer sleeve Mof rubber or other similar elastic material. Said sleeve has its endsreduced in outer diameter to engage protecting sleeves. At the upper enda sleeve or collar I5 is screwed over the upper end of the mandrel 9 andhas a downwardly extending flange I 6 engaging over the reduced end ofthe packer sleeve. At the lower end of said packer sleeve is a collar I!having a cupped upper end to provide a flange l8 engaging over the lowerend of the packer. The lower collar ll protecting the packer is held inresilient engagement with the said packer by means of a coiled spring l9supported at its lower end upon a shoulder 20 upon the upper end of thehead II].

In order to expand the packer when desired the outer'wall of the packerbody 9 is provided with an annular recessZl positioned about midwaybetween the ends of the packer when said packer is in its normalposition. This recess 21 is connected by a plurality of radial openings22 with the interior passage II.

In the operation of this packer it is to be noted that the passage 23through the mandrel is of larger diameter than is the passage l3 throughthe pilot plug l2 upon the packer head. When the assembled spear andpacker are introduced downwardly into the well the circulation of liquidthrough the device may be continued if desired during the loweringoperation, but before the device is engaged within the broken offsection of pipe 2 the circulation of liquid will .be stopped so thatthere will be no expansion of the packer sleeve I 4. When the packer isthen introduced into the broken section oi pipe 2 into the positionshown in Fig. 1 the circulation of liquid through the device may beinitiated so as to exert a pressure within the packer to expand thesame. This is accomplished due to the constricted opening l3 from theinterior passage I0 of the packer. The liquid entering through thepassage 23 will not be able to easily escape at the lower end and willbe dammed up within the packer and exert an outward pressure through thepassage 22 to the interior of the packer sleeve and force it outwardly.As this packer sleeve is distended the lower collar I! on the saidsleeve will be moved upwardly by the spring to accommodate the decreasedlength of the sleeve. Thus a strong sealing engagement with the interiorof the fish is obtained and a continued circulation of flushing fluidthrough the device may continue until the fish is loosened, after whichthe spear may be employed to remove the broken ofi section of pipe fromthe well.

The advantages of my device lie in the positive manner in which a sealmay be obtained when desired in order to direct the stream of flushingfluid through the broken section of pipe, it being obvious that ifno'seal were maintained outside of the mandrel of the tool fluid wouldcirculate back upwardly around the tool and from the well withoutwashing the material away from the lodged section of pipe. mechanism isnecessary in the operation of the packer. In the ordinary flushingoperation the packer is automatically sealed with the interior of thefish so that the washing operation can be accomplished. When the packeris once expanded the fluid pressure upwardly outside the packer engagingthe collar I! will tend to hold it expanded so long as fluid pressure.is main tained bythe pumps.

What is claimed as new is:

l. A packer of the character described including a tubular body having afluid passage of comparatively large diameter, a pilot plug closing'thelower end of said passage except for a restricted opening in said plug,a packer sleeve of compressible material upon said body, meansresiliently to support the lower end of said packer sleeve in position,there being fluid openings from the interior of said passage to theinterior oi'said sleeve, and means to conduct pressure fluid into saidpassage to expand said packer.

It will be seen that no lower end of said passage except for arestricted opening in said plug, a packer sleeve of compressiblematerial upon said body, means to-support said packer sleeve inposition, including a lower collar slidable on said mandrel, means'tourge said collar upwardly, there being fluid openings from the interiorof said passage to the interior of said sleeve, and means to conductpressure fluid into said passage to expand, said packer.

3. The combination of a drill stem, a tubular mandrel thereon, a packerconnected with the lower end of said mandrel including a tubular bodywith a water passage therethrough, a packer sleeve of expansiblematerial thereon, andmeans constricting said passage below said packer,there being openings in said packer body to conduct pressure fluiddammed up in said passage to the interior of said packer sleeve wherebysaid packer is expanded. b

4. A packer for use with a pipe gripping device including a tubular bodyhaving a water passage therethrough, means to constrict the lower end ofsaid passage, and a packer sleeve on said body adapted to be expanded byfluid under pressure dammed up in said passage, and a slidable supportfor one end of said sleeve.

5. A packer including a tubular mandrel, a tubular packer body connectedtherewith, a pilot plug having a constricted opening partially closingthe lower end of said passage, a packer sleeve on said body, means tosecure one end of said sleeve on said body, a collar protecting theother end of said sleeve, said collar being slidable on said mandrel,resilient means urging said collar toward said sleeve, there beingopenings in said body to conduct pressure fluid to the interior of saidpacker sleeve to expand the same.

6. A packer body having an axial passage, means to constrict the lowerend oi. said passage, a packer sleeve anchored at one end on said body,a slidable collar protecting the other end of said sleeve, a springtending to force said collar toward said sleeve, and fluid conductingpassages from said axial passage to the interior of said sleeve.

RICHARD T. ROYE.

